1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to air diffusers for environmental control systems in commercial and residential buildings. The invention relates specifically to a fabric air diffuser that can be used in place of conventional diffusers. The invention also relates to a method for diffusing air and a method for attenuating the noise associated with flowing air.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Air diffusers redirect air as it flows into a room from a ceiling mounted supply duct. Without a diffuser, the air provided by the duct will flow straight down into the room. This can cause undesirable air drafts within the room.
The prior art diffusers solve this and other problems by redirecting and diffusing the air as it enters the room. To accomplish this goal, the exit "face" of a typical prior art diffuser has a group of angled vanes or louvers.
Prior art diffusers that utilize angled vanes include those set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,155, issued Apr. 6, 1976 (Warren R. Hedrick), U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,470, issued May 12, 1981 (Schroeder et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,748, issued Jan. 4, 1983 (Wilson et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,379, issued Oct. 8, 1991 (Franc Sodec), U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,348, issued Mar. 9, 1993 (Craig S. Ludwig), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,756, issued Oct. 3, 1995 (Craig S. Ludwig).
Fabric sheets have been used in diffuser systems to filter dust and other particulate matter from the air passing into the room. U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,618, issued Aug. 5, 1986 (Charles W. Soltis), discloses a clean room ventilation system having a fabric sheet fixed above a perforated ceiling grid. The fabric sheet filters the air and provides a uniform laminar flow of air into the room. The fabric sheet and perforated grid extend across the entire ceiling, and air flows from the ceiling straight down into the room.
The prior art air diffusers have many problems. They often accumulate dust, which tends to build up around the angled vanes. In addition, the prior art air-handling systems tend to be noisy.
Fabrics have also been used to absorb sound. U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,474, issued May 1, 1979 (Cook, deceased et al.), discloses an acoustic absorber which comprises a substrate having a plurality of openings. An organic polymer coating covers the substrate and partially fills the openings in the substrate.
It would be desirable to provide a light-weight air diffuser, which does not have the problems associated with the air diffuser of the prior art. It would also be desirable to provide and method for diffusing and a method for attenuating the noise associated with the diffusion of air.